Massive Air Strike coordination (I.E. Getting Together with Siblings)

I have decided that getting together with Family is like coordinating a massive air strike. Lots of communication, a little chaos thrown in and ETA's... My siblings want to get together for New Year's Eve. Happy New Year to all of you guys... I spoke too soon. I will be spending the night over at J and P's taking care of dogs. Nice and low key which is just what the doctor ordered. I'll probably head over after hitting home first to take care of kitties and get a shake to go from the Loop : ) I still have my coupon for a free one for my birthday but I have to get it before the end of December. Which today just happens to be.

Do you all make New Year's Resolutions? I don't. I know for the whole year what I need to work on for me. And I have gotten better about thinking about what I need to do better but not at putting it into practice. And what do I think about?

Getting in better health
Filling my head with good stuff
Interacting more with people
Being a better Christian

Oh but I will hopefully be able to check off belly dancing off my to do list soon. I am hoping to sign up for that class next week. I am really looking forward to it. Perhaps I can get lost on my way there so I can enjoy two pleasant things that day: P I am so on my way to become a Bond girl. Foreign Language or Accent..check, Requisite sexy dancing (got to do something to distract while evilly plotting against Bond) .... soon to be check. I still need small arms training and martial arts. All in good time : )

Good day and Cowart... Eve Cowart : P

I am as constant as a Northern Star

So I come back to you all just a bit older but not wiser by a long short. I did have a lovely birthday. My dad took me out on one of Daddy Dates which are just as good now as always. He complimented me by wanting to do it again and not just on my birthday. My siblings took me out to dinner and gave me presents. We were going to see Narnia but I had hurt my back earlier and took the medicine they gave me for my root canal. Needless to say, any sitting in any area dark would have resulted in me sleeping deep and hard.

Christmas was good too. I walked down to the Christmas Eve service at the Lutheran church around the corner. It was a bit of a dodgy walk because now the park I walk pass and live near is a supposed haven for pedofiles. Obviously they were all dreaming of sugarplums as there was no one out and about on my walk. We did the whole candlelight bit. But instead of walking out singing Silent Night, the pastor did a bit about Christ being the light of the world and how his light stills shines and we finished up with Joy to the World. Sometimes it is so hard to hear that still quiet voice within all the yelling that the world does. I imagine that the world is like the commercials. You know how they seem to turn up the volume for the commercials and it goes back down when your show comes on.

I got to spend a lot of time with family this Christmas. P came up and was here from the 22nd to the 26th. We hung out at J and P's for a few of those days and then spent Christmas Day at Mom and Dad's. I liked all my presents but my favorite was my sunset (actually a sunrise) in a bottle. My parents took a picture of a sunrise, printed off and put it in a bottle. It was on my wish list and I got it. Just another case of the impossible becoming possible in my life.

My favorite present for someone else was B's at work. He got Darth Tater. Oh but a more perfect present possibly doesn't exist for him. S. was so right on. We had him put in on the counter where we check people out. Sort of a new "Pay your fines or else" program : ) I tried to come up with other tater related terms this morning driving to work ( It is a long commute, people) and all I got was "Help me, Obi-graten, Help me"and Luke Spudwalker. Trust me, so far from my best work but it was earlyish for me.

And it is early right now too.... good day and may the force be mass times acceleration : P

Joyeux Noel

This will probably be my last post till after Christmas since I have tomorrow through the 26th off. But I must fill you in on the ninja mice before that. Consider it an early Christmas present.

I went out with my siblings the other day to look at the luminairies. They were just lovely. Well, long story short, I was just exhausted and I did like I always do and cried. Everyone was so concerned but it really was just straight exhaustion. It ended up being a long but lovely weekend and way too much driving and interaction for me. P. drove me home and I had just gotten in when I decided to feed the cats. There is a shelf with some candles on it and of course I knocked it off. Ugh! Short bout of crying again. I promise it is only when really really tired that I do this. One of the candles hit me in the face and left with a slight bruise.

So always making good of bad, I decided I needed a story should anyone ask. I was still tossing around the idea at work today. A co-worker came up with the ninja mice which we decided had just a great visual to it. So if anyone asks, it was a retalation beating from the ninja mouse's spinning kick (the tail did the damage) since I house my former gang kitties.

I am very much looking forward to the days off. I think I will do what they did for the first Christmas... wander, pray, be surrounded by animals, ponder, celebrate, and open presents. A little chaotic, a lot of joy...

Good week and peace be with you... Merry Christmas y'all! : P

Love without Rules

The title is from the Dove Chocolate's I ate while hanging out with G while P put my Christmas presents away. Though I did make the observation that isn't having a rule of no rules actually cancelling itself out. I just left Scott's site so love is on the brain. I've actually outsourced my love life. I have one lady at work and P and J searching for me. I do still think that I'll look myself but I still need to get settled.

I know I don't want to stay in J but my family is there and we are all so close. I can visit whenever I want. They are my friends and take them out the equation and I'm worried that I'll end up in the place I want but no friends or fiends to speak of. Believe it or not, I am a really quiet shy person at first. More pondering is necessary and at a time when I haven't just gotten up.

We are all masterpieces in progress.


So I promised randomness as tagged by Christelli and a-randoming I will be...

1. My ultimate destination for work or just living is England. Been there once so what to go back.

2. My birthday is in 4 days on December 22 and I'm turning 30 (though it is actually - 40... see earlier post for explanation)

3. I've kept some sort of journal (which this sort of is) since I was in 8th grade. They've never been daily but they are fun to go back and read. My senior year one was all boys and God.

4. I was born in the year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese zodiac

5. I cry very easily though not as bad as I did growing up.

6. I have had several nicknames. My first was Smiley given to me by the school crossing guard. The other have been Evey-Q, Evie, Nevie, Evert, Bubbles, Sally ( Charlie Brown's sister), Eviekins, Barrette Girl and I think that's all.

7. Hi, my name is Eve and I am a recovering McDonald's addict. Unfornuately not a lot of places to eat at near work and I am getting better about bringing lunch.

8. I'm the comedic relief most of the time.

9. Back to that whole shy quiet thing, I can remember growing up that my dad would have everyone be quiet so that I could contribute to the family dinner conversation.

10. I have three cats: Basil (L), Henri (M) and Hazel (S)

11. My worst experience to date was having to give up my two cats (Raven and Cecelia) to the humane society when I was leaving for grad school.

12. In one of my apartments, there were (within walking distance) a Taco Bell and Dairy Queen right next door to each other. I used to love getting dinner and dessert and walking home.

13. I have only had my driver's license for a little over a year. No, nothing was wrong or such. I just didn't want to get it. Silly me!

14. Occassionally when I walk out of my apartment at night, I imagine what it would be like to run into Jack the Ripper or a werewolf or ninjas and how I would react.

15. I love asking questions.

16. I hate cleaning my apartment. And doing laundry

17. I like traveling and exploring by myself. Hence the reason I must prepare mentally for the ninja attack : )

18. I am a night owl. My staff decided that I need to get the t-shirt: A.M. stands for Ain't Moving or Good Morning is an oxymoron

19. I can cook but I prefer baking. Making pies is going to be my backup business if library work doesn't work out.

20. My general description of the guy I want goes like this: attractive enough that I can look at him but not so much everyone else is too, smart enough to talk to me, able to be silly and serious at the same time, must be odd (but not scary I'm collecting your earwax to make one of you to be with me always odd), and have a willingness to go off the beaten path.

And one for good luck...

21. I like getting lost. I want to travel down roads that no one else does and see all the coolness that is around me and there is a ton. I want to see what no one sees or skims over.

Okay long enough... my tagees are Patty Pooh and PJs Doghouse. I would have tagged all your Toronto people but you've already been tagged or a tagger. :P

Good day, my fellow masterpieces in progress

Checking In

So I may eventually add computer to my wish list... I can only blog at work currently. Unfornuately being as I am beyond busy all the time, one at home would be a nice thing. But it would have to be wireless or I would have to finally breakdown and get a land line. Right now all I have is my cell. It has been great but occassionally I forget to take it with me. I never know whether to hope that no one calls that day or feel bad that no one has called me : ) And yes, I know that I have been tagged for randomness but it is going to have to hold off one day: P Thus I can come up with the wonders of randomness about me.

Oh just a heads up. My library made news again last Saturday.

Obviously I am so used to being written up in the paper that I forgot to tell ya'll about it. It is so a tie between me and Jennifer Anniston. I just know that my paparazzi are really fab about hiding so that they can get the candidest shots. More money that way : P

Good day and only take pictures from my left you crazy invisible paparazzi!

A Clock went by the Window

Yawn... time is just flying by. I have 7 more days til the offical start of my Christmas holidays. On the first day of my holiday, I gave myself... a kitty in my lap. On the second day of my holiday, I gave myself...two birthday cakes and a kitty in my lap. On the third day of my holiday, I gave myself... three hours of wrapping, two birthday cakes and a kitty in my lap. On the fourth day of my holiday, I gave myself... four sips of eggnog, three hours of wrapping, two birthday cakes and a kitty in my lap. On the fifth day of my holiday, I gave myself... five anklebiters, four sips of eggnog, three hours of wrapping, two birthday cakes and a kitty in my lap. On the sixth day of my holiday, I gave myself... six unwrapped presents, five anklebitters, four sips of eggnog, three hours of wrapping, two birthday cakes and a kitty in my lap. On the seventh day of my holiday, I gave myself... seven hour recovery, six unwrapped presents, five anklebiters, four sips of eggnog, three hours of wrapping, two birthday cakes and a kitty in my lap.

Yep. That is pretty much what I expect. Fun and chaos and recovery all in those days. The next piece will be for P.

My version of shouting from the rooftops: P. is such a wonderful person. She is generous and fun. She is a fantabulous sister and I love her beyond words. She gives good hugs and we can talk for hours. She deserves the very best and she deserves to be loved unconditionally. She is so smart and has such a great attitude. I know I can always count on her.

She was a bit down the other day and that is always when I can't stand not to be there. I can send hugs over the phone but they just don't work. I even sent kitty hugs. Those travel phone lines much better.

Oh, I am doing a caritas-ish present for my mom. It is a phrase I heard at my Happening. Which takes some explaining to.. okay... happening is a church retreat and one of the things that happened was you get a bag of letters from all the people you know at church and just people you know. Well, caritas is like a small sacrifice that you make for that person.

Enough explaining. If you don't have it yet, ask your neighborhood librarian : P Job security... : ) Well, my present for mom (and should mom be reading this... desist right now, young lady), is a mason jar of my spare change. She just recently got two new hearing aids. I know that they were really expensive and as of right now none of us can help pay for them all of the way. So this is my way of saving for them. I started on December 1st and will continue until December 25th. Each time I put change in it, I either think of her or say a little prayer for her. I am going to label it "Do you hear what I hear". I like this kind of gift-giving since it has so many levels of gifting. My sacrifice, my prayers, my change. It's not much but I think it is priceless. I like those gifts. It allows Christmas to lose a little of the commericalism and gain a bit more shine like a certain star I know of.

Good night and be of good change.

Crafty Concoctions

So it is offical... the kids thought I was nice and crazy. We had our Saturday Surprise and since the children's person is out, I got to lead it. The theme was reindeers and we made reindeer pins. One to take home and one to give to the seniors at the senior centers. So I can check off that on the list: Minds to warp and people to corrupt... hmmmm maybe not. No, that will just have to go on tomorrow's to do list. Can I corrupt them with good things? So it wasn't in Oxford Dictionary of Difficult Words. Obviously you can easily corrupt... It was in Random Houses with all sorts of bad connoctations but it does mean to taint. Taint with goodness? I wonder...

I always forget how tired I am afterwards. I expend so much energy in my storytimes. It can be a hard audience. But it is usually so much fun that I agree to do it everytime. It is like being a comedian and a storyteller rolled into one. I want them to walk away thinking that they had a great time. Nothing else. Though I will admit I like being the one that they like.

I get told all the time that I would be a great mom. A whole other discussion for a later date, readers. It all just seems way too grown up. I feel like I have never been the one to pretend to be a bride and pretend to be a mom. I love working with them. No doubt. But the pregnancy and the birth thing are way beyond my scope of imagination. I can't even imagine being married. No don't fret guys. I want to but how exactly it plays out is a bit beyond me. All I know is he better have a passport. I would hate to have to leave him home while I globetrot.

Good day and bon voyage!

Joyful, Joyful We Adore thee

And another song stuck in my head. It is also known as Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". Or as the Die Hard Theme... LOL I spent the day and before with J and P. Usually this involves me getting into their car at ten in the morning for a quick run of errands which doesn't end until 7 at night with me not getting anything done. But this time was really great. We picked up Dad and headed out right near work to grab lunch and hike a trail that they had stumbled upon a while back. I really enjoy lunch but how do you not love a place called "Everybody's"? It is very small-townish with waitresses that actually talk to you and one of the few places I know of that you can run a tab with.

Sorry guys, work just got busy so this is actually the next days post too. 2 Posts for 1 on sale this Christmas!

Another night at J and P's house. I stopped by to have dinner and decided to hang out for the night. They are all bummed because they have had to cut the cable down to bare minimum. Okay forgive me if this seems so funny: ) I have lived cable free since R and haven't really missed it at all. For a time when I first moved into my last apartment I didn't even have a tv. Even now I am more likely to just borrow movies from the library or watch an awful lot of PBS. Sisters.... LOL D also came over for dinner. I told P this morning that they need to put out more toys for him. He tends to play around afterwards. Yesterday experiment was burning napkins. He was also filling us in on his new movie which sounded great. And he gets the Best Bear Hug Award. H didn't come with but we did miss her. They seem to be a good couple. Yay for D! He deserves somebody great...

They all wanted to know what I wanted for my birthday. I am really not sure. I think my Christmas list should be thought of as my birthday list too. Mom and Dad always did such a good job of splitting up the two events. It was tough as Christmas and my B-day are a mere three days apart. I guess I will just do the combo thing with J since hers is on the 19th.

Everyone is all "ooooh the big 3-0". Exactly why is it the big 3-0 instead of the absolutely meaningless 3-0? Why does that age get to be the milestone? I mean 21 okay, 18 okay, 30 huh? I demand another adjective! Or age to be big. Though it is within the three to five year plan to have things done between ages 30 to 32. I know me and I know leaway is needed. I get so involved in things that it is sometimes hard to get unentrenched. Sometimes I make Charlie Brown look like a decisive person : P Much more pondering is required.

Good day and laugh some every day (sticker on my desk)

From H*ll

The title of today's blog, children, is taken from the book I finished last night. It is a telling of the Jack the Ripper story as a graphic novel. It is taken from the point of the motive behind the killings is the fact the Prince Edward had a child with a candy store clerk/prostitute and the killer killed the women who knew about it. It was an interesting read. What is it about this crime that makes it so unforgettable? I was in London a couple of years ago and we did a Jack the Ripper walking tour on Halloween. It would have been scary but for the fifty other tours doing the exact same thing. Ugh!

Do you ever have moments where your external actions match your now-playing soundtrack? Today was the second time that I happened to drive by the sign " State Prisoners Working" and have the soundtrack for O, Brother, Where Art Thou? playing. It is one of the six CDs I have currently in the car. I tend to like soundtracks for their variety of songs.

What else is going on? I am going to be heading to J and P's for my weekly visit. I usually stay at their house on Tuesdays since they are so close to my work and I am always tired on Wednesday mornings. The switch from a late close to an early open is bleech! It will be especially nice since tomorrow is my day off.
We also kicked off another drive here at work. We are collecting greeting cards and calling cards for service people as well as we have a banner that we'll be sending off soon.

I have told my staff to slap me if I volunteer to do anything else. Not that I could seeing as there is so much I am already a part of. I could have a nice quiet never leave the branch job but no, I have to volunteer for everything under the sun. Right now I am looking into the possiblity of donating books from the booksale to libraries that were hit by Katrina. No more... that is it!

I now refuse to help out in any other ways. I offically give up (at least for today). I just feel blah and have written a blah blog. Don't give up on me though. It will get better I promise... give me a week and I'll be back to my fantastic self.

Good day and being the change you want to see in the world

Nibble, Nibble Little Mouse...

Who's that nibbling on my house? It is strange what phrases stick in your head. That one is from a telling of Hansel and Gretel. But I'll get to the mouse in a second.

I finally finished Wicked by Gregory Maguire. Major fantabulously wonderful! I love it when I get to see things from another view. You know those stereotypical pics of fifties girl with her head upside down and feet in the air across her bed? I am one of those. I usually love looking at the world upside down. I can be as agreeable as the next person but I like to be challenged. I used to have a staff member here who liked to debate things especially the oh-so not important things. I loved talking with him even if I was totally wrong. It does ocassionally happen but it was fun. The best thing I ever debated was in college. I had to be on the pro side of a God is Dead argument. It was so tough arguing against something I believed in but I learned so much (BTW God is so much alive it isn't funny... I mean it... the dude is so wick).

But back to the book, it was so great that there is someone who takes a story you know by heart and takes it from another perspective. It was filled with the nature of evil and souls and whether she was bound by a destiny. It also looked at the Animals vs. animals. The Animals had speech and knowledge but in the end they were pawns and victims. I mean you just took the Lion as just another fantasy creature because he was in a fantasy book.

It also looked at the evilness of the witch and the nature of it. Was she a witch who was green and souless or was she green and soulless because she was a witch? How much was internal causes and how much was external causes.

Okay so the mouse. I had to go to a meeting downtown yesterday. I stopped by my favorite sandwich shop and decided to eat in the park. It is right near the library where I had the meeting. I must have been eating something that smelled great and not making too many motions because as I watched the bushes and looked at the people, I had a visitor. A small brown mouse ( or a rat... I couldn't really see its tail) came sniffing around. I tossed a small pebble of the bread I was eating over and it scarffed it up and dashed off. So I decided to see whatelse I could see. I saw lizards doing their mating thing with the neck puffed out, a whole team of ants carrying things back to the colony and one tall bottle of amber liquid hidden the bushes. I am thinking someone would be coming back for it later as it had carefully been placed upright and very well hidden.

It reminded me of the game "I Spy". I like seeing what others don't. One of the quotes I have around my bedroom door is " Stuff your eyes with wonder." . Try it and see what you will see.

Good day and look hard : )